Q: kernel_task runaway (300% to 600%) CPU with 2 external displays
I have a MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012), and for over a year and a half I have had been battling episodes when the kernel_task suddenly starts consuming all the processor CPU (from 300 to 600%), making the system response so sluggish it impossible to use. I have experience these episodes throughout the prior 1 to 2 years this as the machine has gone from Yosemite to El Capitan and now to Sierra.
I normally operate my MacBook with two external displays, both at work and at home. At work, I have two external Lenovo displays, and at home I have two Apple displays (27in Apple Cinema Display and 27in Apple Thunderbolt Display). I have discovered that this high kernel_task CPU usage can only be stopped by unplugging one of the external displays. After unplugging an external display, the kernel_task immediately calms down to normal (<5%). After a few minutes, I can plug the 2nd external display in again and proceed normally (sometimes for days, sometimes for hours, sometimes for just minutes) before the kernel_task shoots up to 300 to 600% again. The high kernel_task CPU usage never occurs unless I have two external displays connected.
Note that since I have upgraded to MacOS Sierra the frequency of the kernel_task CPU runaways has gone up significantly: from 1 kernel_task runaway every several days to a runaway almost every 10 minutes or so. I don’t have a reason why this frequency has gone up, but the runaway condition seems to be exacerbated by the fact that the photoanalysisd daemon is running like crazy on my large (72,000) Photos library.
Also note that I have booted into Recovery mode and have re-installed MacOS Sierra, and this had no effect on the kernel_task runaway.
Any Ideas about how to fix this kernel_task takeover of all of my CPU?
I have attached my EtreCheck system report below. This report was captured with both external displays attached. Halfway though generating this report, the kernel_task kicked up and started hogging CPU again.
EtreCheck version: 3.0.5 (309)
Report generated 2016-09-25 14:24:02
Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com
Runtime 7:59
Performance: Below Average
Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.
Problem: Computer is too slow
Description:
Sometimes while working with my MacBook connected to two external displays, the kernel_task shoots up to 600 to 800% of CPU and stays there until I unplug at least one of the external displays. After unplugging, the kernal_task immediately calms down to normal (<5%). After a few minutes, I can plug the 2nd external display in again and proceed normally (sometimes for days, sometimes for hours, sometimes for just minutes) before the kernel_task shoots up to 600 to 800% again. The high kernel_task CPU usage never occurs unless I have two external displays connected.
MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
[Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service]
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro10,1
1 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core
16 GB RAM Not upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
Wireless: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 242
Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M - VRAM: 1024 MB
Color LCD 3840 x 2400
LED Cinema Display 2560 x 1440
Thunderbolt Display 2560 x 1440
macOS Sierra 10.12 (16A323) - Time since boot: about one hour
APPLE SSD SM512E disk0 : (500.28 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
Boromir (disk1) / : 499.05 GB (140.24 GB free)
Core Storage: disk0s2 499.42 GB Online
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)
Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple Inc. Apple LED Cinema Display
Apple Inc. Display iSight
Apple Inc. Display Audio
Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Display)
Apple Inc. Apple Thunderbolt Display
Apple Inc. Display Audio
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Apple Inc. Thunderbolt Display
/etc/sudoers, File size 2299 but expected 1563
Mac App Store and identified developers
/Applications/Beats Updater.app
[not loaded] com.beatsbydre.BeatsDFUSupport (2.1.0 - SDK 10.10 - 2015-10-29) [Support]
/Applications/Proxifier.app
[not loaded] com.initex.proxifier.macosx.kext (2.15.2b1 - SDK 10.7 - 2015-09-10) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions
[not loaded] com.makemkv.kext.daspi (1.5 - 2016-09-25) [Support]
TiVoDesktop: Path: /Library/StartupItems/TiVoDesktop
Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite
[not loaded] 7 Apple tasks
[loaded] 156 Apple tasks
[running] 108 Apple tasks
[not loaded] com.apple.jetsamproperties.Mac.plist (2016-08-25) [Support]
[not loaded] 41 Apple tasks
[loaded] 153 Apple tasks
[running] 109 Apple tasks
[failed] com.adobe.ARMDCHelper.cc24aef4a1b90ed56a725c38014c95072f92651fb65e1bf9c8e43c37a2 3d420d.plist (2016-07-11) [Support]
[loaded] com.cisco.anyconnect.gui.plist (2014-06-10)
[failed] com.displaylink.useragent.plist (2012-08-14) [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-07-11) [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist (2013-01-04) [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.ARMDC.Communicator.plist (2016-07-11) [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.ARMDC.SMJobBlessHelper.plist (2016-07-11) [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-08-29) [Support]
[running] com.backblaze.bzserv.plist (2016-07-11) [Support]
[running] com.cisco.anyconnect.vpnagentd.plist (2014-06-10) [Support]
[failed] com.displaylink.usbnivolistener.plist (2012-08-14) [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist (2016-09-09) [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist (2013-01-04) [Support]
[loaded] com.sharpcast.xfsmond.plist (2013-11-30) [Support]
[running] com.backblaze.bzbmenu.plist (2016-09-25) [Support]
[running] com.vladalexa.MagicPrefs.plist (2016-09-25) [Support]
iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)
HWMonitor Application (/Applications/HWMonitor.app)
CPULed Application Hidden (/Applications/CPULed.app)
Activity Monitor Application Hidden (/Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app)
Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
SizzlingKeys Application Hidden (/Applications/SizzlingKeys.app)
Beats Updater Application (/Applications/Beats Updater.app)
Net Monitor Application Hidden (/Applications/Net Monitor.app)
FlashPlayer-10.6: 23.0.0.162 - SDK 10.9 (2016-09-15) [Support]
QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2016-09-13)
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: 15.017.20053 - SDK 10.11 (2016-08-03) [Support]
AdobePDFViewer: 15.017.20053 - SDK 10.11 (2016-08-03) [Support]
Flash Player: 23.0.0.162 - SDK 10.9 (2016-09-15) [Support]
Silverlight: 5.1.20913.0 - SDK 10.6 (2014-03-07) [Support]
JavaAppletPlugin: Java 8 Update 101 build 13 (2016-08-18) Check version
WebEx64: 1.0 - SDK 10.10 (2016-01-23) [Support]
Ghostery - GHOSTERY, Inc. - https://www.ghostery.com/ (2016-03-15)
Backblaze Backup (2016-07-11) [Support]
Flash Player (2016-08-29) [Support]
FUSE for OS X (OSXFUSE) (2013-11-30) [Support]
Java (2016-08-18) [Support]
MagicPrefs (2016-01-20) [Support]
MenuMeters (2014-10-22) [Support]
TiVo Desktop (2009-11-23) [Support]
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: OFF
Auto backup: YES
Volumes being backed up:
Boromir: Disk size: 499.05 GB Disk used: 358.81 GB
Destinations:
Frodo Time Machine [Local]
Total size: 999.86 GB
Total number of backups: 40
Oldest backup: 9/9/16, 2:09 AM
Last backup: 9/25/16, 11:49 AM
Size of backup disk: Too small
Backup size 999.86 GB < (Disk used 358.81 GB X 3)
345% kernel_task
56% System Information
44% cloudphotosd
42% iTunesCacheExtension
30% Activity Monitor
1.44 GB kernel_task
1.18 GB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(6)
786 MB mds_stores
590 MB bztransmit
492 MB mdworker(18)
256 MB Free RAM
16.00 GB Used RAM (5.96 GB Cached)
768 KB Swap Used
Sep 25, 2016, 01:46:18 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.apple.WebKit.WebContent_2016-09-25-134618_ [redacted].crash
/System/Library/Frameworks/WebKit.framework/Versions/A/XPCServices/com.apple.We bKit.WebContent.xpc/Contents/MacOS/com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
Sep 25, 2016, 01:19:15 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/photolibraryd_2016-09-25-131915_[redacted].cpu_ resource.diag [Details]
/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/PhotoLibraryPrivate.framework/Versions/A/Supp ort/photolibraryd
Sep 25, 2016, 01:06:44 PM Self test - passed
Sep 22, 2016, 04:03:11 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Microsoft Word_2016-09-22-160311_[redacted].crash
com.microsoft.Word - /Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Microsoft Word.app/Contents/MacOS/Microsoft Word
MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS Sierra (10.12), MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
Posted on Sep 27, 2016 6:05 AM